Leafshadow's War
by Brightbriar
Summary: After a long series of tragedies for ShadowClan, sick and dying, with leaf-bare approaching, they take in a respectable-looking band of rogues. But everything goes wrong; ShadowClan suddenly becomes strong force looking to expand. The entire clan system is under threat, and who will survive is entirely uncertain. After all, "war does not determine who is right - only who is left."
1. Allegiences

_ShadowClan_

Leader: FEATHERSTAR - Muscular, thick-furred grey tom with golden eyes

Deputy: OATWHISKER - Small sand-coloured mottled she-cat

Medicine Cat: LEOPARDFLIGHT - Lithe golden tom with black dapples

MC Apprentice: RISINGPAW - pale grey tom with a white stripe on his chest and golden eyes

Warriors:

AMBERWHISKER - Black tom with amber eyes and long whiskers

SHADEHEART - Slender dark grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
 _Apprentice: Brackenpaw_

GORSECLAW - Spiky tortoiseshell tom with a long scar on his flank

CLOUDSTORM - White tom with blue eyes

SKYTAIL - Dilute torbie she-cat with bright green eyes

THORNTOOTH - Black and white she-cat with yellow eyes

JAGGEDTAIL - Grey tabby tom with a crooked tail  
 _Apprentice: Sparkpaw_

MOUSECHASER - Brown tom with large yellow eyes and a long tail  
 _Apprentice: Silverpaw_

SOOTWING - Dark grey tom with amber eyes and large ears

WOLFSONG - Small, sooty black she-cat with one blue eye, one green one, and white forepaws

THISTLETAIL - Fluffy pale brown tabby tom with green eyes

LEAFSHADOW - Dark brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

NIGHTLEAP - Black she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

SPARKPAW - Pale ginger tom with faint tabby stripes, a white chest, and white paws.

BRACKENPAW - Chestnut-brown she-cat with green eyes

SILVERPAW - Silver tabby tom with thick black stripes

Queens:

ROSEHEART - Silver tabby she-cat with piercing yellow eyes, mother to Nightkit(f), Squirrelkit(f), Eaglekit(m) and Frostkit(m). Mate, Mousechaser.

Elders:

STORMCLAW - Dark grey tom with a long tail

FROGFOOT - Dark brown mottled she-cat with green eyes and a scarred muzzle.

POPPYTAIL - Thin white she-cat with dark amber, almost red eyes

* * *

 _Riverclan_

Leader: RUNNINGSTAR - Dark ginger tom with blue eyes

Deputy: MOSSFOOT - Tortoiseshell tom with a white muzzle

Medicine Cat: FISHTAIL - Silver dappled she-cat with amber eyes

MC Apprentice: LITTLEBREEZE - Small tan tabby she-cat

Warriors:

SWIFTFALL - Dark grey mottled she-cat with orange eyes and a white tail tip

BLACKFUR - Large black tom with piercing dark amber eyes and large paws

SOFTPELT - Pale grey she-cat with green eyes

GINGERTAIL - Ginger she-cat with blue eyes

GREENHEART - Brown tom with green eyes and a narrow muzzle  
 _Apprentice: Violetpaw_

LIONFUR - Golden tabby she-cat with white paws  
 _Apprentice: Icepaw_

CLEARHEART - Grey and white tom with green eyes and a very fluffy chest

HERONFLIGHT - White she-cat with amber eyes and large ears

APPLEDUST - Dark brown tom with white paws

FLAMEPELT - Flame-coloured tabby tom with amber eyes

SMOKEFUR - Fluffy grey tom with bright blue eyes

RUSHINGRAIN - White tom with a long grey tail

WILLOWFUR - Dark grey and white tom with mustard-coloured eyes

Apprentices:

ICEPAW: Large, muscular white tom with blue eyes

VIOLETPAW: Delicate dappled brown she-cat

Queens:

BADGERFOOT - Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes and black paws, mother to Kindlekit(m), Redkit(f) and Lakekit(f). Mate, Greenheart.

BROOKFUR - Tortoiseshell she-cat with large paws, expecting kits. Mate, Appledust.

Elders:

STONEFOOT - Grey and black tom with amber eyes

LILYNOSE - Small tortoiseshell and white she-cat

* * *

 _Windclan_

Leader: DARKSTAR - Black she-cat with blue eyes and neat ears

Deputy: SAGECLAW - Light brown tabby tom with orange eyes  
 _Apprentice: Russetpaw_

Medicine Cat \- FIREFLOWER - Ginger she-cat with blue eyes and a fluffy tail

Warriors:

MINTDAPPLE - Tortoiseshell she-cat with dark green eyes a long tail

LIGHTNINGSTRIPE - Dark ginger she-cat with thick stripes  
 _Apprentice: Fawnpaw_

SWIFTFANG - Grey tom with pale blue eyes and small ears

TAWNYFROST - Golden tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and front paws  
 _Apprentice: Mothpaw_

RABBITLEAP - Grey tom with striped legs and dark green eyes  
 _Apprentice: Bramblepaw_

BARKSPIRIT - Dark brown she-cat with green eyes and a white flash on her chest  
 _Apprentice: Breezepaw_

OWLHEART - Lithe pale brown tabby she-cat with a white splash on her muzzle and blue-purple eyes

GRASSFUR - Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white tail tip

CINDERFLIGHT - Thick-furred grey she-cat with hazel eyes and slightly darker fur on her face

SUNBLAZE - Ginger tabby tom green eyes and large amounts of white.

RIPPLEFUR - Pale brown and white dappled tom with pale green eyes

BIRCHTAIL - Small white she-cat with a cream coloured tabby face and legs, and a dark tabby tail.

Apprentices:

BREEZEPAW - Long-furred black she-cat with one amber eye and one blue one - Darkstar's daughter

RUSSETPAW - Dark ginger she-cat with a white tail tip

MOTHPAW - Pale brown tom with torn ears and green eyes

BRAMBLEPAW - Dark brown she-cat with black paws

FAWNPAW - Brown she-cat with white dapples on her haunches

Queens:

BUZZARDWING - Grey tabby she-cat with green eyes, mother to Hawkkit(m) and Blazekit(f). Mate, Grassfur

SANDFLOWER - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, expecting kits. Mate, Swiftfang.

Elders:

SPLASHFOOT - Black and white tom with green eyes

ASHTAIL - Grey she-cat with yellow eyes and a long tail

* * *

 _ThunderClan_

Leader: SPOTTEDSTAR - Elderly tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: RAINSTORM - Flecked silver she-cat with green eyes  
 _Apprentice: Brownpaw_

Medicine Cat: HOLLYCLAW - Black and white tom with blue eyes

MC Apprentice: PINEPAW - Dark brown tom with blue eyes and large paws

Warriors:

PEBBLEWHISKER - Small, dark grey tom with pale green eyes  
 _Apprentice: Firepaw_

LYNXFOOT - Thick furred golden she-cat with black ears and amber eyes

IVYSTREAK - Grey she-cat with a dark stripe down her spine and piercing green eyes

WATERFROST - Dappled grey tom with blue eyes  
 _Apprentice: Meadowpaw_

CLOVERHEART - Brown she-cat with dark amber, almost orange eyes

SHIMMERFUR - Pale ginger tom with green eyes  
 _Apprentice: Reedpaw_

YELLOWTAIL - Ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes

FERNGAZE - Grey tabby she-cat with green eyes  
 _Apprentice: Birdpaw_

SEEDHEART - Light brown dappled tom with green eyes

SNOWFOOT - White tom with large paws and blue eyes  
 _Apprentice: Foxpaw_

TIGERFEATHER - Lithe dark brown tabby she-cat with a white chest

Apprentices:

BIRDPAW - White she-cat with blue eyes and a ginger tail

MEADOWPAW - Light brown tom with green eyes

FOXPAW - Dark ginger tabby she-cat with black ears

FIREPAW - Ginger tom with amber eyes and a white tail tip

REEDPAW - Dark brown tom with amber eyes and a white muzzle

BROWNPAW - Small dark brown dappled tom with white paws

Queens:

SKYFLOWER - Grey and white she-cat with pale blue eyes, mother to Spiderkit(f), Lotuskit(f) and Jaykit(m). Mate, Shimmerfur

Elders:

SMUDGEPELT - Black a white streaked tom with amber eyes

LEAFTAIL - Brown she-cat with bright green eyes

SWEETBERRY - Tortoiseshell she-cat with a long tail

MISTYFUR - Blue-grey tom with pale blue eyes and a greying muzzle

* * *

 _Cats outside the Clans:_

RIN - Black she-cat with a white stripe on her face and green eyes

CHAOS - Lithe tortoiseshell she-cat with icy blue eyes

INK - Sturdy black tom with dark amber, almost red eyes

FLINT - Dark grey tom with amber eyes and a scarred muzzle

TWIST - Long-limbed ginger tom with blue eyes

KAWIKU - Japanese bobtail she-cat; mainly white with blue eyes, and ginger and black splotches on her head, and hardly any tail.

SATSUMA - Calico she-cat with amber eyes

RAVEN - Black she-cat with dark red eyes and a white chest and tail tip.


	2. Prologue

A dark blue-grey tom raced between the trees. His long, curved claws tore at the grass as he ran at full pelt, the howling wind whipping his fur the wrong way. It was completely dark -there was no moon tonight. Only the stars gave off a cold glow, as if looking down on the warrior disapprovingly. But he didn't care.

"Sleetfang!"

He whipped around, his tail lashing. A pair of piercing green eyes almost glowed in the darkness, staring back at him, alive with fury. He laughed, his amber eyes wild and unfocused. "It's too late, Frostfern! I've won!"

He darted away, but the white she-cat gave chase, parts of her fur already stained with red, from previous, recent battles with this tom. "Not if I can help it!"

Sleetfang's ears twitched, and he called over his shoulder, not slowing his pace, "Badgerstar is dead. I was her deputy. ShadowClan is mine!"

"If you're so sure I can't take you down," she panted, "Why are you running?!"

He considered those words, then slowed to a stop. He wasn't afraid of her. "You're here to kill me?"

She came to a halt too, two or so foxlength away, panting slightly. "What did you expect?!"

He curled his lip. "You're a Medicine Cat, Frostfern. I didn't think you'd be mousebrained enough to try and pull that off."

She glared at him. "You killed Badgerstar. Our _sister!"_ she spat, and Sleetflang flinched. "You don't care about blood - you care for nothing but power!"

He laughed. "You were always the smart one. I'll take your word for it."

Frostfern unsheathed her claws. "I will _not_ let you lead our clan. It is not StarClan's wish."

"You misunderstand, dear sister," he meowed, his tone dripping with cruelty. "I am _stronger_ than StarClan. If I wasn't meant to be leader, they wouldn't have allowed me to kill Badgerstar."

"That is not how StarClan works, and you know it," she hissed.

"Fine. Kill me," he challenged, snarling.

The medicine cat launched herself at the deputy, screeching, leaping onto his back. Sleetfang ducked, rolling away. Frostfern landed neatly and spun around to face him, teeth bared, as he swiped at her throat, claws unsheathed. She pulled back, and grabbed his paw in her teeth, biting down until she felt bone. Blood filled her mouth - her brother's blood - but she could only bite down harder, her heart filled with hate.

Sleetfang screeched in pain, and lunged for Frostfern's belly. She released his paw, and barrelled into him, knocking him away, but not before he could scrape his claws down her side. She sprung backwards, hissing and spitting angrily. "You will _never_ get away with this!"

Sleetfang narrowed his eyes into slits, then lunged again. He grabbed her scruff, and started to shake her. She gasped, feeling sick, as she was jerked back and fourth, her paws hanging uselessly as they swiped at empty air. She was tossed onto the ground, her head smashing into a rock. She gritted her teeth, blinking open her eyes, to see Sleetfang standing over her. Or maybe behind her - her head was spinning.

He thrust his muzzle into her face, and she flinched at the scent of his breath, laced with her blood. "Goodbye, Frostfern. Leopardflight will make a good, loyal medicine cat once you're gone." He unsheathed his claws, and growled, "After all, disloyal cats must be _punished_."

Frostfern's eyes flashed. "You know _nothing_ of loyalty," she gasped, sides heaving. "And this is a battle you've already lost."

He narrowed his eyes, fear crossing his mind for a moment. "How so, dear sister?"

"The fur around my neck and scruff is laced with the juice of deathberries," she hissed, scrambling away from him, getting unsteadily to her paws, everything still swaying. She dug her claws into the ground. "Even if you'd killed me by slicing open my belly, you'd have swallowed some, dragging me back to camp. Who knows what story you would have made up, arriving home with a blood-soaked medicine cat - maybe an enemy patrol ambushed us. That would give the clan motivation to launch an attack, and take over all four territories, as you always intended to do!"

Sleetfang's eyes widened. "How-"

"But you will be dead in the next few minutes. I suggest making any amends you can with StarClan before you die, though I wouldn't get your hopes up."

Sleetfang met her cold, green gaze. "You are cruel, sister."

She returned it evenly. "That makes two of us. Must be genetic."

The blue-grey tom took a deep, shuddering breath, coughing as the poison racked his body. "This isn't over. ShadowClan will be mine, even when I'm dead! I _promise_ you, Frostfern!" Then his coughing became more violent, and he started shaking. He collapsed, his paws twitching, claws unsheathing one last time before he died.

Frostfern sniffed his body, emotionless and empty, then made a long cut in the fallen deputy's neck. She then picked up the body and dragged it back to the camp.

Rosepaw was standing guard outside the thorn barrier. Her fur bristled as she saw Sleetfang. "What-"

"A fox ambushed us," Frostfern mewed, glancing at her paws, faking sadness. "He died defending me, before he could reach the moonpool."

The apprentice's eyes widened. "Who will lead the clan now?"

"StarClan will send a sign."

Before Rosepaw could ask any more questions, the medicine dragged Sleetfang into the camp and placed him carefully in the middle of the clearing. Deathberry juice was still all through her fur. She'd asked Leopardflight to collect herbs near the RiverClan border, as no other cat would recognise their scent. _I'll wash it out in the river._

She leapt to her paws, glancing over her shoulder at her fallen brother one last time. She would not sit vigil tonight, but it was her duty as a medicine cat to send him to the next life. She glared at him - at those claws, still unsheathed, which had done so much damage. _May StarClan light your path,_ she thought bitterly, _And send you to the Dark Forest!_


End file.
